“Tonight I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda and a terrorist who is responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children…. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader. He was a mass murderer of Muslims.” —President Barack Obama

“The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.” —Former President George W. Bush

“Year after year, day after day, we have said the fighting against terrorism is not in the villages of Afghanistan, not among the poor people of Afghanistan. The fight against terrorism is in safe havens. It proves that Afghanistan was right.”— Afghan President Hamid Karzai

“It’s inconceivable that Bin Laden did not have a support system in the country that allowed him to remain there for an extended period of time.” —John Brennan, President Obama’s top counterterrorism official

“Osama bin Laden would not have been captured and killed if it were not for the initial information we got from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed after he was waterboarded.” —Peter King, a Republican congressman from Long Island

“Whether we would have gotten the same information through other approaches I think is always going to be an open question.” —C.I.A. director Leon Panetta